The Chat Room Pub

This Fort Worth bar had built a devoted clientele of regulars in more than five years as a Fairmount-area hangout until musician Brad Hensarling took over ownership from Jon Carney during a dark period in Fort Worth's music history, as the Wreck Room and the Black Dog Tavern were shutting their doors, thanks to massive redevelopment projects in the Seventh Street area. Hensarling's musician friends needed a place to play. Turns out, the Oriental rug along the bar's painting-festooned back wall does quite nicely as an improvised stage. Bartender Ben Rogers works with The Roman Seasonal to book acts and runs sound during the shows. Both see The Chat Room as part of a larger neighborhood effort to keep ownership local and offer an alternative to those who don't want to hang out with the Yuppies, frat boys or tourists drawn to other parts of Cowtown.

• Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining